“Popeye Turns Latino in the Spinach Capital of the World” by Cynthia Gallaher

Author Questions:

• Which food myth have you heard about that’s recently been proven false?

Does it surprise anyone
that Popeye found his way,
without sails, oars, or sexton,
to Crystal City, Texas,
spinach capital of the world?

Where clear spring waters
bathe simple shapes
of spinach leaves,
tasting grassy, lemony,
chewy as the jungle.

He pulled into town without a last name,
and was dubbed Popeye of East Dimmit Street
by townfolk who erected a statue in his honor,
making his face as shiny
as a spray-painted piñata.

It took decades for scientists
to track down the misplaced decimal point
that made iron-rich spinach
10 times richer
than it actually is.

Popeye only sighed,
ready to retire anyway,
a sailor landlocked from his beloved shores,
finally ready to settle down
and marry Olive Oyl.

As Popeye continued to bask
in the town square’s sunlight,
migrant workers and Tex-Mex locals
who picked
and canned the spinach,

Painted Popeye’s face
and balloony arms
a warm Latino tan, and embraced him
even after the Del Monte plant
closed up shop.

And pipe-packin’ Popeye, asking
no better or worse treatment than
any other citizen,
remains banished with the rest of the smokers
outside city hall.

© 2011 by Cynthia Gallaher